Is a blog still a blog when most of the posts are about not blogging often enough? Heh.

I’ve been thinking about the reason I started this thing in the first place. At the time, I felt the need to blow off some steam after coming out of 24 years of theism. Mission accomplished, really. It felt like there was some momentum behind it at the time, so that I’d be able to launch into a semi-regular rant against religion to the amusement and/or consternation of all involved.

That’s not what happened though. I think one reason is that I’m in Australia, where although Christians are nominally in the majority, it’s not considered the default position, especially among twenty-somethings, and especially especially (for some reason) among twenty-something software engineers. You read Pharyngula or Friendly Atheist and you get the impression that they’re continually battling against the surrounding brainwashed masses; but I look around and I generally see irreligious, or at least non-fanatical, people. With the occasional exception, of course; the exceptions are always out of place in a way that doesn’t seem to happen in, say, the US. To cite a recent example, when Cardinal Pell spoke out against stem cell research back in June, Catholic MPs said he was a goose. Basically, I really like this country.

The reason that the word “atheist” exists at all is because there are opposing theist positions that are (more) widespread. The whole “New Atheist” movement is a rebellion against the silliness that has held prime position in people’s minds for so much of history. In the absence of theism, there’s no reason for atheists to do anything; which is what I feel like at the moment.

Another perspective is that maybe it took me until now to get rid of the Christian idea that it’s my “mission” to spread my worldview as far and wide as possible. (Okay, maybe that’s just an ICOC thing, or at least a less-than-liberal-Christian thing.) The idea that I don’t have to be on a crusade for what I believe (or don’t believe) is a relatively new concept that I’m only just getting my head around.

Of course, none of this is to say that I’ve changed my mind about anything. Just how much of my life I want to devote to pushing it.

Now, having said that, I do want to keep this blog going. So if you’re a Christian (or theist of any flavour) reading this, feel free to pick a fight with me. If you don’t, I’m going to start talking about my plants again.

(In case you’re wondering, this post was written under the influence of a McLeish Estate 2004 Merlot.)